Privacy Policy
CarTalkie lets people send short, anonymous messages to a vehicle's owner using its license plate. This policy explains what information CarTalkie ("we", "us") collects through the CarTalkie app and the website at cartalkie.app, how we use it, and the choices you have. Questions: info@cartalkie.app.
The short version
- Messages are anonymous by default. We never show a vehicle owner who sent a message, and we never show a sender who owns a vehicle.
- We don't sell your information, show ads, or track you across other apps and websites.
- Ownership documents you upload to verify a vehicle are deleted as soon as they're reviewed.
- You can delete your account at any time from inside the app.
Information we collect
Account information
Your email address and a password, stored only as a salted hash. We record whether you've confirmed your email address.
Messages and conversations
The license plate and state you message, the vehicle make and color you select, the message you send (chosen from preset templates), replies, and when each message was sent. If you report or block a conversation, we keep the report and the reason you gave.
Vehicles you register
If you register a vehicle to receive messages: its plate, state, make, color and an optional nickname; the email address of any driver you invite to share it; and the shipping address you give us for your QR sticker.
Ownership documents
To verify you own a vehicle, you upload a photo or PDF of its registration or title. Only our review team can see it, and it is permanently deleted as soon as a decision is made, whether approved or rejected. We keep only the decision itself, and the reason if it was rejected.
Subscriptions
Subscriptions are purchased through the Apple App Store or Google Play. They process your payment; we never receive your card details. We receive the subscription's status, product and renewal date from the store via our subscription provider, RevenueCat.
The website (cartalkie.app)
You can send a message from the website without an account. Your browser stores a random identifier so we can apply rate limits. If you choose to add your name or phone number to a message, it is shown to the vehicle owner with that message.
The website uses Google Analytics to count visits and see how the site is used: which pages are viewed, whether a message was sent successfully, and general information such as device and browser type and approximate location (city or region, derived from your IP address). Google Analytics sets cookies for this. We've turned off its advertising features, and we never send it your messages, the plates you enter, or your name or phone number. You can opt out with Google's browser add-on or by blocking cookies. The app does not use Google Analytics.
Device and technical information
If you allow notifications, a push notification token for your device. Like any web service, our servers see your IP address with each request. We use it to limit abuse (for example, too many sign-ups or messages from one place) and do not store it with your account. We do not collect your location, contacts, or advertising identifiers.
How we use information
- To deliver messages and replies, and to notify you about them.
- To verify vehicle ownership and run your subscription, including mailing your QR sticker.
- To prevent spam, harassment and abuse: rate limits, CAPTCHA checks, reports and blocks.
- To send account emails, such as email confirmation. We don't send marketing email.
- To respond when you contact us, and to comply with the law.
Who we share it with
We don't sell or rent personal information, and we don't share it for advertising. We share it only:
- With the other person in a conversation: the messages and replies themselves, plus your name or phone number only if you chose to include them on the website.
- With drivers you invite: they see that vehicle's conversations.
- With service providers that run CarTalkie for us: Railway (hosting and database), Cloudflare (CAPTCHA via Turnstile, and document storage), Resend (account email), Expo (push notification delivery), RevenueCat, Apple and Google (subscriptions), and Google Fonts and Google Analytics on the website. Each processes information only to provide its service to us.
- When required by law, or when needed to protect someone's safety or to investigate abuse of CarTalkie.
- If CarTalkie is sold or merged, as part of that transaction, under this policy.
How long we keep it
- Account information, messages and conversations: until you delete your account.
- Ownership documents: until they're reviewed, then permanently deleted.
- Shipping address: while the vehicle's subscription exists.
- Messages sent from the website: until the vehicle owner's conversation is deleted.
Deleting your account
In the app, open the Account screen (the person icon in your inbox) and tap Delete account. This permanently deletes your account, the conversations you started, and your messages. Vehicles you registered are released, and their conversations, drivers and documents are deleted. You can also email info@cartalkie.app from your account's address to ask us to delete it.
Deleting your account does not cancel a subscription. Cancel it in your App Store or Google Play account settings.
Your choices and rights
You can turn notifications off in your device settings, stop a vehicle from receiving messages, block a conversation, or delete your account. Depending on where you live (for example, California), you may have the right to know what personal information we hold about you, to get a copy of it, to correct it, or to have it deleted. Email us to make a request. We'll respond within the time the law requires and won't treat you differently for asking.
Security
Data is encrypted in transit, passwords are stored as salted hashes, and ownership documents are kept in private storage that only our review team can access. No system is perfectly secure, but we work to protect your information and will notify you if a breach affects it, as required by law.
Children
CarTalkie is only for people 18 and older, and we don't knowingly collect information from anyone younger. If you believe a child has created an account, contact us and we'll delete it.
Changes to this policy
If we change this policy, we'll update the date at the top. If a change is significant, we'll also tell you in the app or by email before it takes effect.